Our beloved Charlene Adele Curtis, an esteemed leader and champion in the world of women's basketball, took her last, perfect, buzzer-beater shot, on August 18, 2022, at the age of 67. Charlene was born June 28, 1955, in Roanoke, Va., to the late Marshall "Peaches" Curtis and Dorothy Charlton Curtis.

Wherever she lived or traveled, Charlene always proudly called Roanoke, Va., her home. She was greatly loved as a child and reared by a strong Christian family. As children, Charlene and Nickey enjoyed and appreciated playing golf with their father, a local business owner. Greatly influenced by their mother, an elementary school teacher, they spent many a day creating their own neighborhood committees, organizations, and practicing Robert's Rules of Order.

Charlene excelled in academics, music, and sports. She was a talented trumpet player and the first African American to join the Roanoke Youth Symphony. In 1972, Charlene graduated with honors from William Fleming High School.

She chose Radford University, a close distance to home, to pursue her love of music and her dream of becoming a band director. She graduated with honors in 1976, with a Bachelor of Science in Music Education. While playing basketball for the Radford Lady Highlanders, she became team captain and earned Most Valuable Player honors in 1975/76, as the university's first 1,000-point scorer, with 1,043 career points. She later was inducted into Radford University's Sports Hall of Fame, as a charter member, coach, and player. Charlene went on to earn a Master's degree in Secondary Education Administration from the University of Virginia in 1982.

Among her many firsts, Charlene was the first Black women's head basketball coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference. In 2019, she retired from a storied, 40-plus year career in women's collegiate basketball, as supervisor of the Women's Basketball Officials for the Atlantic Coast Conference, and coordinator of the Women's Basketball Officials for the Big South, Colonial and Southern Conferences. In the collegiate ranks, Charlene held assistant coaching positions at the University of Virginia, Georgetown University and University of Connecticut. She served as head coach at her alma mater, Radford University; and, Temple University, and Wake Forest University. In 2004, she was named an assistant coach for the Women's National Basketball Association-Charlotte Sting, and later became a women's television collegiate basketball analyst. A career highlight and distinguished honor were serving on the coaching teams for USA Basketball, most notably the World University Games, the Women's Goodwill Games, and the USA World Championship Games.

Charlene's impressive accomplishments and lived expertise in the world of women's collegiate basketball paled in comparison to her deep faith and devotion to church and community. Guided by God and her spirit to serve and give back, principles instilled by her parents, she participated on numerous organization boards and professional commissions, throughout her lifetime. Most recently, she was Lay Leader at St. Paul United Methodist Church, a member of Church Council, Committee on Finance, a Sunday School teacher and Grief Share leader. She was also Chair for the Commission on Equitable Compensation for the Western North Carolina United Methodist Conference; the Radford University Board of Visitors; North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, and on the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Benevolent Fund. She spent decades associated with Big Brothers-Big Sisters in Southwest Virginia and the Piedmont Triad area of North Carolina as both a board member and a BIG.

Charlene left an incredible mark on the world, with her giant vision and gentle, kindred spirit. She bravely and mutinously navigated the possibilities in life and women's sports, leaving a clear path, where none existed before. Her leadership and personal achievements were collectively shared with journeys by her players, teams, colleagues and family. And, after all, she was just a girl from Roanoke, Va.

Here to honor Charlene's legacy and to forever share her life story is her partner of 24 years, Sharolyn Grant, of the home; her beloved sister, Millicent "Nickey" Wright and brother in-law, Byrl; and her aunt, Evelyn "Kitty" Board Charlton (late James "Red"), all of Roanoke, Va., along with a cherished circle of extended family, lifelong friends, and beloved colleagues.

A celebration of her life will be held Tuesday, August 30, 2022, with family visitation at 11 am, and a memorial service at 12 Noon, at Centenary United Methodist Church, 646 W. 5th St, Winston-Salem, NC, 27101. The service will be live streamed online at: https://www.centenary-ws.org/live-stream . Interment will be held Wednesday, August 31, 2022, noon, at Sherwood Memorial Park, in Salem, VA. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests donations to the Radford University Foundation,

Charlene A. Curtis Women's Basketball Scholarship, P.O. Box 6893, Radford, VA 24142.